Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Brown went for 30 points, hitting 12-for-22 from the floor as the Celtics took a 2-0 first-round series lead with a 120-106 manhandling of Milwaukee. He made 7-of-10 shots within the arc and 5-of-12 from beyond. He went inside and out and provided the scoring volume the Celts need in these lean days when coach Brad Stevens admits offense can be hard to come by.

[…]

Giannis is the best player in this series, but, until proven otherwise, the Celts, even with their injury issues, are much the better team.

But, damn, is Brown, after scoring 20 in the series opener, having a graduation party or what? He may not get this many touches and looks when sharing the court with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward next season, but how are you going to guard these guys?

And by these guys, you have to factor in a rotation that includes a more experienced Jayson Tatum and a scarier Terry Rozier.

[…]

“I think Jaylen loves the moment,” said Stevens. “I think he really appreciates the opportunity to compete on this stage and at this level. We’ve seen him against the better teams in the league all year be able to really raise his level in some of the biggest games. And I think that obviously he’s gaining more experience by the minute.

Herald — Jaylen Brown freaks out

When Jaylen Brown was putting up 30 two weeks ago against the Bulls it was kind of cute. When he threw in 21 first quarter points last week against Washington it was nice. When Jaylen Brown, with the help of Boston’s back-up, back-up point guard, Terry Rozier (more on him later) buries the Bucks in game two in the playoffs, well, let’s just say we no longer have to wonder whether Jaylen Brown has officially arrived.

He’s here. And I hope he’s here for a long, long time.

It was more than just the performance –an array of silky jumpers from inside and beyond the arc; strong, contested drives to the basket ending in finger-roll lay-ins and emphatic dunks– it was how he embraced the moment. 21-year-old Jaylen Brown was walking to and from second half timeouts and motioning for the frenzied Garden crowd to give him and his team the love and energy they needed to sprint out to a 2-0 series lead. Just like as a guest lecturer at Harvard, Brown is completely embracing this moment and totally within his element.

Bulpett references next year (my goodness, next year is going to be so fun) and I have to admit, there have been moments in which I’ve let my mind drift to next year and what a lineup with 5 ball-handlers, 5 shooters and 4 switchers on defense is going to look like, but I also have wondered what will happen to the development of guys like Jaylen and Jayson Tatum when they’re not always first or second options? I’ve stopped worrying about that. Tatum’s game one performance and Brown’s superstar submission from last night shows that they’ll be just fine.

And if the first two games of the playoffs are any indication, they might just be fine for a few more weeks, too.

Related links:

ESPN — Jaylen Brown, youngest in Celtics history to score 30 in a playoff game  |  NBCSports — Brown and Cs dominate Bucks  |  Mass Live — Jaylen Brown “loves the moment”

On page 2, here’s (possibly) why Eric Bledsoe disrespected Scary Terry

“Who?” Bledsoe replied, following Tuesday’s 120-106 Game 2 loss to Boston.

“Terry Rozier,” a reporter responded.

“I don’t even know who the f— that is,” Bledsoe said.

“I’m not feeding into that,” Rozier told ESPN.

While it remains unclear exactly what Bledsoe’s motives may have been in not giving Rozier any postgame respect, speculation abounds in Boston that Rozier’s commentary after Game 1, in which he called Bledsoe, “Drew,” as in the former New England Patriots quarterback, may have upset the Bucks point guard.

“They’re very tall and athletic, so just move the ball offensively and get great shots,” Rozier said after Game 1. “Defensively, just play long, show your arms. Giannis [Antetokounmpo], he loves to push the ball. Drew Bledsoe makes tough shots and we just try to limit them to what they’re good at by just being long off the ball and showing our presence and I felt like we did a great job with that the majority of the game.”

ESPN — Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe has no time for Celtics’ Terry Rozier

When I first saw Eric Bledsoe’s comments before I turned in for bed last night, I was dumbfounded. Bledsoe’s been arguably the worst Bucks player on the court offensively (I don’t count Jabari Parker since clearly one of the Monstars from Space Jam took his talent last week, and I don’t count Jason Terry because he retired five years ago) and that’s juxtaposed by Terry Rozier eating his lunch on the other end of the floor. Sure, Bledsoe’s played like an all-star before, and maybe, I thought, that’s what gave him the notion that he can treat Tito like he doesn’t exist.

But now we know. Terry Rozier called Eric Bledsoe Drew Bledsoe. Incredible. I’m going to believe that Terry knew exactly what he was doing in calling him Drew, and that Eric Bledsoe saw it and got his feelings hurt. Maybe it’s a sign of what’s to come in game three. Hell, Joe Prunty NBA Basketball Coach needs to do something to shake things up. Perhaps he puts in little known Sterling Brown at point guard for Bledsoe, Brown turns things around and then a Point Guard controversy starts in Milwaukee. After the Bucks win the championship this year in the most unlikely of circumstances and Brown wins Finals’ MVP, Bledsoe tweets “I don’t wanna be here, neither” and gets traded to Atlanta.

I thought Eric Bledsoe was out of line for taking shots at Scary Terry last night, but Terry is an absolute savage for calling him Drew Bledsoe.

And finally, our thoughts and prayers are with Marcus Smart and his mother

Marcus Smart describes his mother, Camellia, as a “tough cookie.”

But that won’t keep the Celtics guard’s concern at bay, now that his mother has been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer.

“At this point, from what they told me, they’re just trying to preserve life right now,” he said before last night’s playoff game between the Celtics and Bucks. “You can’t fix it. Would have to get a whole transplant and at her age that’s tough. Transplant would probably be more harmful than good.”

Herald 

Just awful news. One thing we learned from last season with Isaiah Thomas’s tragedy is that Boston fans and the Celtics organization rally around guys who are going through the toughest of life’s challenges.

Here’s hoping that Marcus’s mom can fight for as long as she possibly can, and that maybe there’s a miracle that can change the prognosis. And for Marcus, once he returns to the floor, he’ll have 19,580 showing him love.